Letters to the Editor for Sept. 9, 2012

Midland Reporter-Telegram

Published 7:18 am, Sunday, September 9, 2012

Water shouldn’t even be an issue

Who do they think they are? Those on the City Council or whoever is saying they want to raise our water prices? They asked us (the citizens of Midland) to conserve water, and we have. Now we are going to be charged more for something that should have been addressed and resolved 15 to 20 years ago? What have they been doing?

This sounds way too much like Obama, being penalized for being successful, because apparently we have been successful at conserving water. This water situation is the direct result of stupidity, laziness and just plain ignorance. This issue would not even be an issue if the council had done their job in the first place. And what about those on fixed incomes and especially those who use swamp coolers to stay alive?

Jackie Ward

City sticking it to Midlanders with taxes

I agree we must pay the cost of getting water to the city, but raising garbage and sewer rates and mandatory litter clean-up rates is nothing but sticking it to the citizens of Midland.

$52,000 of the $75,000 given to Keep Midland Beautiful goes to expenses for litter abatement fund and recruiting volunteers to clean up litter the volunteers have paid the city to do from the money collected by the city.

I agree 100 percent with the last paragraph of Our View on Aug. 30 in the Midland Reporter-Telegram. Officials say this is an emergency. Why doesn’t the city use “slush funds” money to help us through this emergency and not strap citizens with more taxes?

And, oh, yes, another new car wash has opened, which will be using water that could extend availability for household water use.

David Penick

Politicians don’t know how to make us energy independent

Presidential candidates all want us to become energy independent. Mitt Romney said we can become energy independent if he is elected.

I was wondering if Romney has a magic stick or some magic beans.

In 1974, with 36.1 percent of oil from foreign sources, Nixon said, “At the end of this decade, in the year 1980, the United States will not be dependent on any other country for the energy we need.”

In 1975, with 36.1 percent, Ford said, “We must reduce oil imports by 1 million barrels per day by the end of this year and by 2 million barrels per day by the end of 1977.”

In 1979, with 40.5 percent, Carter said, “Beginning this moment, this nation will never use more foreign oil than we did in 1977 — never.”

In 1981, with 43.6 percent, Reagan said, “While conservation is worthy in itself, the best answer is to try to make us independent of outside sources to the greatest extent possible for our energy.”